Sweet Potato Hash is the perfect Easter side dish

Sarah and Tony Nasello

Forum News Service

This week’s recipe for Sweet Potato Hash was inspired by a desire to bring the colors of spring to our table this Easter.

With its bright colors and savory nature, this side dish is the perfect complement for roast meat dishes, especially last week’s featured recipe, Oven-Roasted Rack of Lamb with Mint Pistachio Pesto. Splashes of orange, warm gold tones and a touch of fiery red combine to create a medley of vegetables that is beautiful to behold and delicious.

Diced sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, bell peppers and onions are tossed with garlic, olive oil and seasoning and roasted in the oven until fork-tender and golden brown. Roasting is one of our favorite cooking methods when it comes to vegetables, as they will gently caramelize as they roast, thus enhancing their natural sweetness and providing a wonderful counterbalance to the succulence of roasted meat.

For this recipe, we use an even amount, 1 pound each of carrots, potatoes and bell pepper and 1 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes.

This dish is easy to prepare but, when making hash, size matters. To ensure even roasting, it’s important to keep the cut of the vegetables consistent in size. For this dish, we dice the vegetables into cubes that are about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, just about the size of a pair of dice. To save time, the veggies can be diced up to a day in advance and refrigerated until ready to roast.

Our go-to temperature for roasting vegetables is 400 degrees, and a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet will ensure an easy cleanup. We roast this sweet potato hash at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables begin to brown around the edges and are fork-tender, but not mushy. Oven temperatures vary, especially if you’re using a convection setting, so it’s a good idea to start checking the vegetables after 15 minutes.

Sweet potato hash can be served as a vegetarian side dish and would be an excellent option for the upcoming Passover holiday.

We’ve also included an optional finish with a sprinkling of prosciutto ham, just to give the hash some Italian flair. The prosciutto is roughly chopped and added to the hash about five minutes before it finishes roasting. The prosciutto will just begin to melt into the hash in this time, giving the sweet vegetables a wonderful punch of salty flavor.

Any leftover hash can be refrigerated for several days and reheated before serving, or even enjoyed cold on its own or in a salad. We tossed our leftover hash with last week’s Mint Pistachio Pesto and were delighted by the combination.

This holiday season, we hope you’ll bring a platter of springtime to your table with our colorful and delicious Sweet Potato Hash.

“Home with the Lost Italian” is a weekly column written by Sarah Nasello featuring recipes by her husband, Tony Nasello. The couple owned Sarello’s in Moorhead and lives in Fargo with their son, Giovanni. Readers can reach them at sarahnasello@gmail.com.

Sweet Potato Hash

Serves: 6 to 8

1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, peeled

1 pound carrots, peeled (about 5 large carrots)

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1 pound red bell peppers (about 2 large peppers)

1 large yellow onion, medium-diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces prosciutto, roughly chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside.

On a cutting board, use a sharp knife to dice the sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes and bell peppers into evenly sized cubes, approximately 1/2 inch to ¾ inch in size. Place all the ingredients, except the prosciutto, in a large mixing bowl and toss until evenly combined.

Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in a single, even layer. Transfer baking sheet to the center rack of the oven and roast for about 20 minutes to 25 minutes until the vegetables are fork-tender and golden brown around the edges.

If adding the prosciutto: After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the chopped prosciutto over the hash, gently tossing to combine. Return to oven and continue roasting for about 5 to 6 minutes, until the prosciutto begins to melt into the hash and the vegetables are fork-tender and golden brown around the edges.

To store: Leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container and reheated before serving or enjoyed cold in a salad.